Xavier Grau writes new Insight paper on the circular economy and sustainable urban planning

Director Xavier Grau has written an insight paper on the role of architects and urban designers in advancing and implementing circular economy principles in urban designs and major urban architecture.

At its simplest, the circular economy is about eliminating waste in the long term, not just the short. The idea is to improve on the advances made by the recycling economy, which has aimed to maximise the re-use of materials before finally disposing of them, so that there is no disposal at all, just continuous re-use.

In his paper, Xavier Grau argues that the focus in design and construction must shift towards mitigating or improving the impact we have, including how we design/plan for use cycles, flexibility, disassembly and ease of recycling.

He makes the case that it is an ethical responsibility to make provisions for future generations, doing everything we can to protect their quality of life while helping to prevent conflict over resources and providing the basis for a fairer and more stable society.

To read Xavier’s thoughts on the importance of circular economy principles to long-term sustainability within the urban planning sector, please click here.